Sorry I have to disagree with the author of this thread and Scorekeeper. You do more disservice to the handicapped kid if 40 were better players than him. He is 16 years old. He can work hard to make himself even better and can make the team next year. I am a firm believer in you have to EARN your spot. If I'm the coach I would be looking for excuses for him to make the team. I think the coach did not have enough excuses.

It looks like 20 made the varsity squad which only has 2 sophomores. The other 20 must be JV; I have no idea of the mix.

Some press say he can reach 80 while others report he throws well ito the 80's. From looking at his mechanics, which are not too shabby considering, I don't believe he is reaching 80 mph. 80 MPH is not an awesome fastball for Varsity HS.

As far as assumptions go, the author seems to have made many of them of his own. I dont know what sub-Universe he lives in but Varsity Baseball "is a big deal", not only to the players who might want to continue their playing into college, but also to the coaches whose jobs are on the line, if they fail. Having coached both JV and Varsity in the North and the South, things really dont change. HS Principals and Athletic Directors want winning programs. It helps them financially (ticket sales and concessions), plus it gives them notoriety for having winning programs. I personnaly only carried 20 players on my teams for 2 reasons. 1) I felt that was more than sufficient and since I had 2 assistants, it was the correct ratio that could produce the greatest affect. Not everyone can make the team no matter how heartbreaking it might be. What if the coach, out of pity did take this person on his team; wouldnt that be reverse discrimination? since he deprived a deserving player a slot on the team? The knife has to cut both ways. The story is nice, the results were inevitable. TM

So what you are saying is the handicapped player can question the coach's decision and non-handicapped players cannot? I have seen his movement off the mound and it is not too good. Good HS squads can and will take advantage especially in Florida.

My younger son's movement on the field is not so athletic either. If my son doesn't make a squad despite his hitting skills I will know why he does not make the cut. I would have my son ask the coach what can he work on to make the cut next year. But I already know the answer.

By the tenacity of your responses, I get the feeling you have more chips in this game that your letting on to? The player said he didnt get a chance to cover bunts, but yet did state that they did numerous running and fielding drills? Don't you think a good coach can see by those that this young man has shortcomings in this area. He himself stated, I believe, that I can cover first although a "little slower" than most? A little slower, is a big deal in baseball. Im sorry, but unless these coaches have shown in the past a history of discrimination, I think it very upsetting that you would accuse them of that. I admire the young mans' courage, but he can continue playing baseball on a tournament team or some other local venue. Finally my assertion that it was Varsity is based on the age of this player (16) which in most states are Varsity aged players. TM

The school in question is a 6A very large classification high school. The program's expectations are to make states every each year. Throwing 80 usually isn't hard enough at this level of conmpetition. Someone I know from the area said the kid doesn't have very good control, very little command, cruises in the upper 70's and can't cover ground well enough to field. He come up through LL until last year when coaches agreed not to bunt on him (this is why the article's writer said the kid has never had trouble with bunts). The high school coach offered the kid the manager's position along with the opportunity to practice with the team daily. The parents turned it down. They are considering a discrimination suit. The coach is considered one of the rising coaching stars in Florida. He considered resigning from all the negative publicity and national condemnation by an uninformed media. And for the record, the kid's uncle (a sportswriter) wrote the first newspaper article condeming the coach. I would say the uncle has extracted his pound of flesh even if it wasn't warranted.

MyTwoSons......I said that to scorekeeper8 many posts earlier, but he chose to ignore that. You are a moderator for this site and to allow character assasination by this person, worries me. I am not as convinced as you are that he wasnt privy to this information, although you and I were not aware of it. TM

MyTwoSons......I said that to scorekeeper8 many posts earlier, but he chose to ignore that. You are a moderator for this site and to allow character assasination by this person, worries me. I am not as convinced as you are that he wasnt privy to this information, although you and I were not aware of it. TM

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